Daily Bible Encouragement Cathy Dalton

Isaiah 42:1a

Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight;

In Isaiah chapter 41, God addresses his people – the nation of Israel – as his servant. He reminds them that he has chosen them and is with them. He has committed himself to help them and be their God.  But they are an unfaithful people; a rebellious servant. Much of Isaiah’s ministry is spent warning them of great upheaval and suffering which is to come, when they will experience God’s righteous judgement for turning away from him.

So, when we read this verse, at the start of chapter 42, we might expect that the servant God is talking about is still Israel. But as we read through the chapter we discover that he is actually talking about another servant. A
better servant. One who is faithful and just. One in whom God the Father delights. One who will be a light in the dark world of the Gentile nations who don’t yet know God.

This is not just any servant. This is THE servant. He is not only faithful and obedient himself, but he is the one who will rescue and restore faithless and disobedient Israel. He is Jesus - God’s chosen one.

Beginning today, we will spend the next 7 weeks looking together at what God tells us, through the prophet Isaiah, about this promised servant.  We’ll focus on the so-called
‘Servant Songs’ – the sections of the book of Isaiah where God speaks to, or about, this promised servant, and where the servant speaks about himself.

It’s my hope and prayer that these passages will help us all to reflect on the character and work of Jesus. That we will appreciate afresh the suffering servant whose perfect life and death have made it possible for rebels like us to be called servants of the Most High God.

So today, let’s pray that as we read about Jesus, God’s chosen one, we too would delight in him. And let’s ask the Spirit to open our eyes in the weeks ahead, to see more clearly the beauty and majesty of Jesus, which Isaiah foretold.

Psalm 62:11-12

One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: ‘Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love’; and, ‘You reward everyone according to what they have done.’

I don't know about you, but as I reflect on my past week I
don't much like the idea of God rewarding me according to what I have done! It hasn't been as bad as it could have been. But I've still been selfish, impatient, more concerned about my own plans than serving others and more focused on my own kingdom than on listening to God and speaking to him in prayer.

How wonderful, then, that our God is full of both power and unfailing love. He alone has the power to defeat our sin and the death which we rightly deserve because of it. Yet his love means that he has chosen to rescue us
and forgive us, by sending Jesus to die on the cross in our place. We can enjoy the reward of an eternity in God’s presence because of what Jesus has done. Praise God for his great power and his unfailing love. And let's pray that we would keep trusting in him, rather than in ourselves, today and every day.

Psalm 62:10

Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.

Back in verse 5, we thought about some of the things that we might put our hope in. I doubt that 'stolen goods' were top of your list! But riches (or, at least, 'things') probably come quite near the top for most of us. Are
we confident because the cupboard and the fridge and the bank account feel full enough? Or are we anxious because they are not? 


These things are good gifts from God for which we can be
thankful. But David warns us not to 'set our hearts' on them. Not to let them be the things that we long for and cling to, that determine our happiness. Why?
Because, though they seem solid and lasting, they – like us - are only a 'breath'. However much we hope or work for material things, we’re not guaranteed to get
them. And if we do get them, they probably won’t last. They will rust or rot, get lost or stolen, or be eaten up by inflation. And even if we keep them and our riches increase in this life, they will never fully satisfy people who were designed to find our ultimate joy in relationship with God.

The only thing secure enough to set our hearts on and not be disappointed by is God himself, our rock and refuge. Let’s pray that we will set our hearts on him.

Psalm 62:9

Surely the lowborn are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie. If weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath.

Who do you rely on? When the going gets tough, who do you look to to sort things out? The government? The scientists? Or closer to home, a husband or parents? Perhaps many of us rely on ourselves. We’re told that if we
simply believe in ourselves we can do anything.

David knows that none of us has the power that we think we have. Recently, we've been reminded that even world leaders and governments are powerless against a microscopic virus. All their apparent power is 'a lie'. And
all of us are but 'a breath' - not the powerful, substantial, world-changing people we aspire to be. But fleeting, temporary, weak mortals.

Let's not put our confidence in ourselves, or in others. Why would we want to lean on 'a breath' when could lean on the rock that is God?

It may be hard to admit that we’re less powerful than we
think we are. But it makes it all the more amazing that God would love fleeting, insubstantial 'breaths' enough to give us solid, everlasting resurrection bodies in which to spend forever with him. Let's praise him for that today!

Psalm 62:8

Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

Do you ever 'pour out your heart to God'?  We often come to God with our lists of requests, or our thanks. We praise him. We confess our sins.  But do we pour out our hearts? Just telling him what we’re thinking and how we’re feeling. Unedited. Unpolished. Even when we’re too upset or ashamed or confused to pray ‘properly’, and have to blurt it all out in one big rambling incoherent mess. 
Are we even allowed to talk to God like that?

David says Yes! Talking to God like that is a good thing.
It's an expression of our trust in him. The times when we most need to pray may be the ones when we are least able to find the words. Yet we can still speak to
him, even then, because he is our refuge at all times.

After all, why is it that God hears and answers our prayers? Is it because of our well-crafted sentences? Of course not. It’s because Jesus died so that we could call God ‘Father’ and he now stands in heaven interceding
for us. Our prayers are acceptable because of him, not because of the quality of the prayers themselves. Prayer is not a performance to impress God, but an expression of our intimate, personal relationship with him. So, whether we are anxious or excited, sad or celebrating, let’s pour out our hearts to God, today and every day.

Psalm 62:7

My salvation and my honour depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

What does your honour depend on? It's not a word we often use, but we recognise the idea. It's like 'reputation'. What do people think of me? What am I recognised, valued, appreciated or praised for? Does my 'honour'
depend on other people's opinions? Do I need ‘likes’ on my social media posts in order to feel significant? Do I need the affirmation of my colleagues or the
appreciation of my boss in order to feel honoured at work? Do I need someone to recognise how hard I’m working at keeping the wheels on family life? Does what
I do behind closed doors even matter, if no-one sees it and honours me for it?

David is the king of Israel. Surely all his honour comes
from his role and status? He must have had endless people ready to tell him how great he was. But that’s not where he looked for honour. His honour depends on
God. He is content to place all his confidence in God's name, God's reputation, God's achievements. He doesn’t want his name to be praised. He’s not consumed
by building his own reputation. He doesn’t need his achievements to be praised. He would prefer God to get the glory. Enemies may attack him, rubbish his
reputation, slander his name or dismiss him as insignificant. He trusts in God. If David’s name needs to be honoured, God will do it. And if not, that’s OK. He
will simply depend on God. Let’s pray that we would do the same.